Upkeep of ventilators in GMCH raises eyebrows!

Aurangabad, July 12:

The Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) received more than 150 ventilators during the Covid-19 pandemic period. The city is nowadays witnessing a gradual rise in the admission of patients, but the upkeep of the unused ventilators in the region’s biggest hospital is an issue of grave concern as 18 are defunct and those in functioning condition need attention!.

Earlier, the issue of ventilators had grabbed headlines in the newspaper in 2021. A series of stories highlighting the status of ventilators were published to attract the attention of the health administration and public representatives to either repair them or bring them into use. The defunct ventilators had become a talk of the state. The Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court also took cognizance of it and ordered to check the functioning of the ventilators. Later on, the defunct ventilators were repaired under the guidance of a committee constituted by the GMCH.

The GMCH received 152 ventilators, although the hospital administration maintained that they were not usable then also the GMCH was forced to unload the stock sanctioned under PM Care Fund. Earlier, there were no connectors and oxygen sensors to them. The serious patients need oxygen and the absence of sensors would cause inconvenience according to the GMCH. These ventilators, however, were brought into use after repairing and upgrading them. Many ventilators were also given to the private hospitals treating Covid-19 patients.

There was a hue and cry that the government had wasted lakhs of rupees by dispatching unused ventilators. Meanwhile, the administration is claiming that majority of the ventilators are in functioning condition. However, it has been observed that the ventilators are not repaired in time due to the non-availability of technicians and experts.

The GMCH Dean Dr Varsha Rotte-Kaginalkar said,” I had taken the review of ventilators considering the possibility of the fourth wave of Covid-19. It has been reported that out of 152 ventilators 134 are in functioning conditions. The process of repair and maintaining these units is a regular affair.”